We've been busy!

Lots of things have happened since my last update....sorry, it's been awhile!

We finished our last childbirth class last week. And when I say 'we', I mean me and my friend Melissa. Brad was in Las Vegas having cocktails and playing blackjack at a work conference. Not that he didn't want to be there....:) Our instructor had us do a rehearsal labor, which means we picked a random day and time that we were 'in labor', and then had to practice our breathing/relaxing techniques that we learned throughout the class to get through each 'contraction'. I was worried that it would be a little weird doing the rehearsal, but it was actually good practice, and everyone asked a lot of helpful questions. Definitely a good refresher! At the end of class we got to see a video of what different newborns look like - some were tiny, some were huge, some had jaundice, etc. They showed us what kind of skin rashes newborns can have so that we won't freak out if it happens to our newborn. It was a nice way to end the class - seeing lots and lots of cute babies! Probably so we would temporarily forget about the whole painful labor and delivery part and focus on the end result!

I had another doctor's appointment last week, and according to Dr. McCrann, my pregnancy is "picture perfect"! I gained 2 more pounds, which puts me at 18 total. If I gain one more pound a week - like they told me to - then I'll be at 24 by the end of the 40 weeks. Not bad if I do say so myself! I've been eating ice cream pretty much every day, but only because it's a good source of calcium for the baby and for me. Not because it tastes sooo good! haha But everyone knows that a pregnant woman needs extra calcium, especially during the last trimester because the baby takes so much since it's bones are developing. I'm just doing what's best for the baby!

Last weekend, Brad and I went to Babies R Us to get the travel system (fancy name for the stroller and car seat that go together) that we had registered for. Or should I say, that I had registered for. It turns out that the one I picked out was black and purple, and Brad thought it looked a little too girly for Baby Cliff. He even stopped two other couples in the store and asked them if they saw a baby in that stroller, would they think it was a boy or girl? They were no help to us though, because one couple said they'd seen both boys and girls in it, and the other couple said it looked like a girl. Ugh! Needless to say, we did not get that stroller. I wasn't really that upset, except that I had done a bunch of research and found that one was easy to get out/put away with one hand, it wasn't too heavy or bulky, and it had gotten great reviews. So we settled for leaving the store with the Pack-n-Play, crib mattress and pad, and the changing table mattress and pad. On to Target the next day for more stroller shopping.....and we found one! It was the same brand, just a different model. It was easy for me to open and close and isn't too heavy. And most importantly, the color was just neutral enough for Brad. Here it is after we got it put together:













We got our changing table last week too - I told you we've been busy! Brad put it together when he got home from Vegas. It was a little frustrating since none of the pieces were labeled, but once Brad finally got it together it looks great! The nursery isn't completely done yet, but it's close. I've gotten most of the clothes/blankets/bedding washed with Dreft, the baby detergent, (which Brad keeps calling Derft....haha) but still have a few more things to ready. So no full pictures of the nursery just yet since it's still a mess, but I promise they're coming soon! For now, here's a picture of the new changing table and the crib:






















So far, I'm still feeling really good. My heartburn has decided to become permanent, so Maalox and Tums are my best friends right now. I'm starting to get more uncomfortable, especially when I sit for a long period of time. Last Friday was the first time my feet had swollen, and it was not fun!! I ended up going home a little early from work and just propped them up and watched some TV. They've been normal since then, so I'm grateful for that. I'm trying to watch my sodium intake and drink more water than usual, and hopefully that's helping. Baby Cliff is still really active. Brad was able to feel him rolling around in my belly the other night - it surprised him! And maybe even freaked him out a little, but now I'm used to him moving in all different ways. I think Brinkley and Nuke really know something's up now....they've been extra clingy lately, and have been following me around a lot more. Their whole world is going to change soon - we'll have to see how they react!!

So I owe you a belly pic....Brad calls it my torpedo belly! It's getting bigger all the time, and I know that's the whole point, but sometimes I feel like I might fall over! This is a horrible picture of me, but I want to show everyone my huge belly before Baby Cliff decides to make his appearance!




My next doctor's appointment is October 4, then I start going once a week after that. Next week we go to a class at the hospital called Baby Business, where we'll fill out some pre-admission paperwork. Then next weekend, we have a breastfeeding class that we have to take a baby doll to. Hopefully if Baby Cliff decides he needs to get out of there early, he'll wait until after that class!

Tomorrow I hit the 5-week mark.....stay tuned for more belly pics!

Now we're ready.....or at least we know where to go

We took a tour of the hospital last night at our child birth class. So now we're all set when we go into labor, right? Well, at least we know what building to go to! It was all a little overwhelming, but at least we didn't hear any women screaming in labor during our tour. I think that would have freaked us all out!

Last week at class, we got to see the birth videos....talk about scary! You could hear everyone in the room gasp when we actually saw the baby coming out. I have to admit - it made me a little more scared for this whole thing than I was before the video. But I think the hardest part for me is not knowing when it's all going to happen. Everyone that knows me knows I'm a planner. I have absolutely no way of planning anything when it comes to this baby! People have been asking me when I'm taking off work, and I tell them I'm working up until I have the baby. And honestly, it will all work out better if I go into labor or my water breaks while I'm at work. No, I'm not crazy! It's just that Brad and I both work downtown, and that's where the hospital is too. So even if I wanted to take a few days off if my due date rolls around and there's no baby yet, it would be a huge inconvenience. Brad would have to drive all the way to Commerce City (about 25 minutes), pick me up, and then get back downtown to the hospital. I'm sure he'd be driving like a maniac both ways too, so not the safest option! So I've got a friend at work lined up to help me out if everything goes down while I'm working. I'm thinking about bringing a couple of towels and maybe some extra pants and keeping them at my desk in case my water breaks. I've got all the important phone numbers up at my desk too. And my mom suggested leaving our suitcase in the car during the week. Should be interesting....I just wish I could plan for it, that'd make me feel a little more at ease I think!

So next week's child birth class is about postpartum. Brad will be in Las Vegas for work, so my good friend Melissa has graciously offered to go with me. She's a newlywed with no kids (yet!), so hopefully it doesn't freak her out too much. We'll have to take notes so Brad will have an idea of what to expect when we bring this little guy home!

Here are some pictures of Brad trying out a couple of our gifts from the baby shower.

Won't be long now before this is a thing of the past!

Maybe I should rethink Brad using the baby carrier....

BIG weekend....

Last weekend was full of events!

My mom and dad came out Wednesday night for a weekend visit. It wasn't much of a vacation for them, since we had them helping us work around the house. And when I say 'helping', I really mean they did a lot of stuff for us while we had to be at work on Thursday and Friday. They painted the nursery for us - which was a lifesaver for us. It looks awesome, it was just how I wanted it! And remember how I said we had left our anniversary trip early on Monday morning? It was so we could go to Lowe's and Home Depot and buy ceiling fans for the living room, master bedroom, and nursery. So those got hung this weekend, mainly by my dad, with Brad helping in the evenings. Another not-so-fun job....putting hardware on the kitchen cabinets. I know Brad was thrilled that my dad took care of that one! Everything looks great and we couldn't be more appreciative that they came out and helped us.

It was nice to have the nursery painted since I had my second baby shower at our house on Saturday! I got to show off the fresh paint job to everyone as they arrived. The shower was wonderful, we got some amazing gifts from friends and family! Thank you to everyone who was able to come and share it with me, and thanks to my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and step-mother-in-law for helping out with everything! We got lots of cute clothes and blankets, including a homemade blanket with dogs on it from my mom. The two big gifts were the glider rocking chair and the crib....which I was thankful once again that my dad was there to help put them together. I was having flashbacks of Brad and I trying to put our treadmill together last fall....it was a loooong night! Having the crib and clothes in the closet makes everything seem so much more real now!!

Here are some pictures of our busy, busy weekend:

Our other event of the weekend was our trip to the Mile High Flea Market. Talk about a huge yard sale!! It's only about 10 minutes away from our house, and I had never been there. It was interesting! I think my dad wished he were closer to home because they had a lot of good tools that he would have liked to pick up for a bargain, but he had to settle for looking this time. The best part was the produce - it was so cheap and really good! Definitely worth going back for in the future.

Thursday, my mom was able to go to my doctor's appointment with me. Before every appointment, Brad and I always guess how much weight I've gained since the last appointment....I was right this time! He said 1 lb. (maybe he was being nice?) and I said 3. 3 it was! I'm at 16 total now, and I'll be 33 weeks on Wednesday. My mom and Dr. McCrann decided that I have a very boring, uneventful pregnancy....and that's a good thing! It means a healthy baby and a healthy mom....and a happy dad! My next appointment in September 20.

Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did!

Can you believe it's already been 2 years?

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary over Labor Day weekend in Breckenridge, CO. It took us a little less than 2 hours to get there, so not too bad of a drive. We weren't very adventurous, we just kind of took it easy for a couple of days. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants, and the weather was perfect for browsing. We got there Friday night and left early Monday morning.

When I originally planned our wedding, I thought it would be a great idea to always have a holiday weekend for our anniversary. Now, I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sports, but apparently I didn't think about Labor Day weekend being the opening weekend for college football. And not that I mind watching football, it's just the constant text messaging between Brad and his buddies to "catch a score" that drives me nuts sometimes! So while we weren't shopping or eating, Brad was watching football and I was reading Harry Potter. Romantic, huh? But it was perfect....we had a blast just getting away from home for a couple of days and spending time with each other.

Oh, and as an added bonus - a bartender said that I couldn't be in the bar area because I was underage! Brad and I looked at each other and he told him I was 29, and the bartender said I couldn't be more than 19! haha So much for being down about turning 30 next year....apparently I have a long way to go before I actually look that old!

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend:

From our hotel room balcony.

The ski slopes without the snow.